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KINSHASA — On Tuesday, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) received an additional 50,000 mpox vaccine doses from the United States, complementing the 200,000 doses previously donated by the European Union.
According to Channel News, the DRC is at the epicenter of the current mpox outbreak, with over 21,500 cases and more than 700 deaths reported, as per the country’s public health institute.
US Ambassador to the DRC, Lucy Tamlyn, confirmed the arrival of the 50,000 vaccines on X, adding that an additional 15,000 doses were delivered by the Gavi Vaccine Alliance.
Earlier this week, the DRC also received 100,000 vaccines from the EU, bringing the total number of vaccines to 265,000.
The vaccines, manufactured by Bavarian Nordic, are currently approved only for adults in Europe and the United States.
Bavarian Nordic had filed for an extension of approval to include children aged 12 to 17.
Japan had authorised another mpox vaccine for both adults and children, and DRC is exploring potential supplies from Japan.
Read more: DRC receives first shipment of 100,000 Mpox vaccine to battle nearly 18,000 cases
The Africa CDC reports that 62 percent of mpox cases in the DRC involve children, who account for four out of five deaths.
The World Health Organization declared an international emergency on August 14 due to the surge in cases of the Clade 1b strain in the DRC, which has also spread to neighboring countries.
Both Clade 1b and Clade 1a strains are present in the DRC.
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